Home security is often on the minds of many adults as they make room in the budget for an effective system, buy secure deadbolts for their doors, and invest in wireless equipment so that they can monitor their homes and watch for intruders. However, recent studies indicate that many homeowners do not teach home security basics to their children and teens because they believe that the will be enough to protect them if they have to be home alone. While these alarmsystems are highly effective, there are several things that every child and teen should be taught about home security safety for children.
Protect Your Home.com, which is an authorized ADT Security dealer, asserts that “An educated child will know what to do if there is an emergency situation. Knowing how to react ahead of time to a situation is the best way to remain safe.”
This means that the more a child knows about how to react in a situation, the more secure he or she will feel when they have to be in the house alone. Before any parents leave their children alone in the house, they should be taught how to use the security system so that they can properly arm it after the adults leave or when they come home from school. They should be taught first and foremost that the system is not a toy and that they must never touch it other than to arm it when needed. Secondly, they should be shown, step by step, how to use the system and then demonstrate that they understand by going through the steps themselves. Not only will this help them feel more secure but it will also reduce the chance of them triggering false alarms from entering the wrong sequence of numbers.
Not only should children understand how to use the security system, they should also know what to do in case of a fire or other emergency. Homeowners should have a plan for their children when they are not at home so that they can act confidently if there is a fire or accident. They should also have a list of people they can call if any of these events should happen. Home security safety for children is one of the most overlooked topics because parents believe an will keep them safe, but they must also be prepared for the unexpected.
Emily Stevenson
Author – Emily is a 10 year veteran of the home security industry working in sales. She was a top sales person at leading home security companies, but has shifted her focus to working on helping consumers make the right decisions.